24. Summer

24

SUMMER

N ash lays me down on the bed, his body over me and his eyes intent on staying locked with mine. This whole evening is a shock but only a soft one. Underneath everything, we always knew that the cards were set up. Just now, we've accepted it.

His brown eyes have a glint that's new, a reflection that's changed. The feeling of his stubbled jaw brushing along the line of my face brings a smile to my face.

"I love you." His words drag along my skin before his teeth scrape my bottom lip.

My body bucks up and shapes to his form. I need him inside me to the hilt, our breaths mingling and our bodies never untying tonight.

I chase his mouth and capture him for a kiss. A deep kiss that lingers and plays, before our eyes follow patterns together. "I love you," I whisper.

Nash takes a moment to let me go and lifts his shirt up. He leans down to help me with my own, but I beat him to it, but I do allow him to slide my jeans off and every scrap of clothing that remains on my body. I'm not sure why but the sound of a buckle coming undone only heightens my desire that's building far more quickly than we might like. But we have all night to do this over and over again.

I do my best to rub against Nash for friction because I'm becoming unhinged and can't lie still. He knows it and grins right before his tongue swirls around my nipple, with his hand skimming and leading my arm up against the mattress over my head.

A moan falls off my tongue, and the sensation of the tip of his cock sliding between my thighs lands exactly where I want him to, on my clit, which only causes more desperation.

"Nash, please."

He doesn't use words to respond, instead shifting his body, and he trails his lips down my body until he stops right above my pubic bone where his nose nuzzles side to side to make this moment an agonizing wait.

"We have all the time in the world, Summer." His tongue arrows out to lick an indistinct pattern against my skin.

Every pulsing sensation that I could possibly have swims in waves through my body. "Yet, you couldn't get me up here fast enough."

He chuckles with that deep velvety tone. "Forgive me for wanting a moment to cherish this body that is mine."

"Nash," I gasp. "Then mark me inside."

That remark only earns me his chuckle, turning to a devilish smirk, his finger skating between my slit for a swipe. It should be a crime when the pad of his finger taps my clit for a few beats. My body is on fire, and I do my best to tilt my body to guide his cock to enter me.

But then he kisses my neck as he leads his cock straight to where I want it. The groan we share when I feel him fill me up still doesn't bring even the slightest release to the ache between my legs that keeps building. Not even after a few thrusts and more moments of moving together.

When he is as deep as he can get, with nowhere to go, we pause. I should be screaming, but I don't mind because our eyes meet for acknowledgment that everything will be okay. The spark between us remains as always, it can't fade.

"Seems we get forever." It barely escapes my lips, but everything about those words warms my heart. I'll photograph the look on Nash's face in my head and cherish it forever. He agrees and is as happy as I am.

His grin begins to form "Well… I don't plan on making this moment last forever. I kind of need to fill you up, and I'm nearly about to explode."

Naturally, I clench harder around his cock and tighten my legs around his waist, and I hiss. "Tsk, tsk, someone was adamant that we could even go slow right now. What happened to my captor?"

Teasing him only causes Nash to pump inside me harder and faster again. "He's reminding your soul that I'm the only guy you'll ever be sharing a bed with."

It's no longer a prospect which is why we meet for a bruising kiss that isn't sensual but good all the same, and I smile when our lips part.

We both race toward complete bliss in bed.

But for our life too.

He's the perfect pillow and his fingers the perfect feather on my back. Nash and I haven't left the bed, even though the sun came up about an hour ago.

"You're okay with me staying here or would you eventually want to move? "

I roll my eyes again. "Yes. I'm fine with you staying here on a non-temporary basis, and for now we don't need to think about other houses. My brain can only process cleaning up toys in the living room and searching for that damn proboscis monkey that keeps getting lost." The feeling of his chest vibrating with a rumble of a laugh is a calming moment.

We've been talking about a few things since we woke up. A few topics Nash keeps bringing up on repeat; I guess he needs certainty of what I meant last night. Everything still holds true. I'm comfortable and certain.

"I kind of forgot to tell you one more thing," Nash tells me.

My head perks up from that sentence. It's been a lot of life changes in the last twenty-four hours. "Oh, uhm…"

The fear that my face must portray only cracks him up, and his hand soothes my arm. "Relax. Just wanted to prove to you that I won't run away nor be a pain in your ass and bother you at work every day—although, I am ten percent owner—and I'll keep myself busy beyond baby talk and toddler-proofing."

"How are you going to do that?" I'm clueless.

His jaw moves side to side, and he winces. "I kind of…"

"What?"

"Agreed to help coach the hockey team at Lake Spark Academy."

My body halts as I let that sentence melt into my brain. It's like a ding in my head, and my laugh is beyond bursting, it's a volcano. My laugh is so powerful that it causes Nash to be kind of annoyed. "Really? Like, really really?" I flop to my back, feeling tears forming because my stomach is hurting from my laughter.

"Yeah, really." He moves to his side and looks down at me. "I can do it," he protests .

"Sure you can." I pat his arm because he's adorable.

"Calm it down, will ya?"

I swallow my last chuckle. "You're right. My apologies. I do think you will be good at it. Just the full circle of life is hitting us in one big wave. Except this one? My hockey guy returns to the birthplace of his wildness to try and tame teenagers. This is going to be… a little epic."

"Ha, ha." He tickles me and now my face hurts from smiling.

But then the room calms, and it's a heavy silence.

"Uh, Summer…" He swipes his thumb across his morning stubble.

A ting hits me, but I stay poised. "Bo."

He nods once.

I reach up to comb my fingers through his hair. "You'll be as good a father to him… but we'll always remind him that you're his uncle."

Fondness floods his face. He doesn't need to say any words, we're both on the same line when it comes to that. Deception has no part when you're living in honesty and memory.

It takes a moment for us to snap out of our serious moment, but I know just how. My finger lands on Nash's mouth to shush him. "No marriage talk now, mister."

Because he'll bring it up again.

He bites my finger playfully. "Fine."

I hum that I'm in a peaceful state. Nothing is heavy around my heart anymore.

As flawless as waking up like this is, we also have to hustle our way out of bed and get a move on. I begin to wiggle, and Nash takes it as our sign.

"How could we forget that we have a little guy to pick up?" he says as we both leave the warm sheets .

"We didn't forget. We just chose to discuss important matters… and perhaps, steal a few extra minutes of sleep." I ramble that sentence out because it's completely true.

Nash is already walking to the bathroom with a grin.

My eyes wander the room, and a shiver hits me that causes me to feel cold then instantly warm, and my lips quirk from that, and I step comfortably forward in the direction of the bathroom, to a door.

Doors open.

"Thank you again. I know it was only supposed to be a few hours, and then, well, that plan changed and?—"

Harlow calms me by sputtering a laugh, with her hand on her belly, as we sit in the lobby of the Dizzy Duck Inn. "Oh, honey, I never thought you would be gone for only a few hours." She glances down to Bo in his stroller. "Mommy was being silly, wasn't she." Her baby voice doesn't need any improvement; she's going to nail the mom thing. "Then when Holden and Lexi texted about the fireworks on Main Street between your mommy and uncle, then you and I just got cozy for the night, didn't we?"

My son giggles and grabs his feet in the air. He doesn't seem to have missed me.

"I guess it was obvious."

"Well, I mean, all of us are already aware, it's just you two kind of kept it under the radar, so we were never sure how to act. Are you openly together so we can all calm down?"

I smile and stare at my son. "All good on the public front."

Harlow pretends to wipe her forehead. "Phew. Lexi was planting mistletoe all around the hotel. Little booby traps so we could see you two attempt not to kiss when you really want to kiss, but then you do kiss and question it, only to kiss again," she babbles, and it's her romantic heart at work.

"It's fine. Make a map for where I can find the hanging plant," I gladly declare.

The sound of two men laughing brings my gaze to my right. Stone and Nash are joining us, and it seems they must have been discussing anything but the running of the Dizzy Duck Inn.

"Ready to nosh on some brunch while my parents debate a Virgin Bloody Mary or not?"

I snort a laugh and stand. "That's not even in question."

Next to Nash where I should be, his elbow runs along my arm as he slips on the diaper bag and makes a funny face at Bo.

"Have fun. The croissants with local jam never fail at our fine establishment," Stone jokingly reflects.

"Yeah, it's the broken coffee machine that's shit," Nash points out.

Shaking my head, it's nice to be lighthearted today. "No more Dizzy Duck critique." I begin to push the stroller.

It's a quick round of goodbyes, then Nash and I make our way to the dining room.

When we enter, we spot his parents in the corner. It's their last day here before they head back south. Their demeanor is different to a few days ago, no longer tense but still resigned.

They too will find harmony; maybe not today but soon, I'm sure.

Nash and I are thinking clearly.

We have a future.

No sin is involved because there never was to begin with.

Maybe it's the flick in our eyes that meet his parents' or the fact that we know we have Harlow, Stone, Holden, and Lexi as unexpected spies who are not so casually sipping on mimosas at the bar, pretending not to watch.

Everything is hopeful.

Which is why Nash and I look to one another with a smile then interlace our fingers to hold hands.

Because we're together.